The CDC and the shutdown: Potentially a big deal

When Republicans were talking about reopening the government piece by piece, certain very visible or emotionally-charged programs rose to the top. Especially emotional was a discussion about reopening the national parks and memorials. Many conservatives, who came out in full force this last weekend, felt the metal barricades were dishonoring to the dead. Similarly, the week before, there were cries to refund the National Institutes of Health to ensure children cancer patients were put on experimental treatments. What was left out of the discussions was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without the CDC, we have no real-time tracking of disease outbreaks.